Part L 
Travels into the L e v a n t. 
CHAP, xxxn» 
Of the Arabs. 
THE Jrah are of the Race of Ijhmael, and of his Twelve Sons, who 
were the Patriarchs of the Tribes of the v^r^?^j, as the Twelve Sons of 
Jacob, were Heads of the twelve Tribes of Jfrael. Thefe ^r^^j are divided 
into thofe who live in Towns, and thofe who inhabit the Defarts ; thefe laft 
are the Arabs whom the Ancients called Scemta, and are now adays called 
Bedouins, of whom particularly I intend to Treat. One good quality they have, 
that they willingly rob Caravans when they can, and do no other hurt, but 
llrip Travellers îtark naked, unlefs they make refiffcance \ but when they catch 
any Turks, they give them not fo good quarter, efpecially if any of their Coun- 
trymen have been lately ufed feverely in the Towns. Thefe People who are very 
numerous, live in the Defarts, where (though they lead a moll wretched life ) 
yet they think themfelves moft happy. Their Cloathing is along blew Shirt, 
fewed up on both fides from top to bottom, and then with a great piece of 
white Searge, they wrap themfelves about the Body, under the Arm-pits, and 
over the Shoulders, giving it feveral turns about them ; fome of them alfo 
have Drawers, and a kind of Furred Veft, or elfe a great many Sheeps Skins 
fe wed together, putting the rough fide towards their Shirt to keep them 
warm, and turning it the contrary way again, when they would be cooler: 
Several wear alfo a kind of V abouches, which are almofl: like our Shoes. Their 
Wives are alfomiferably ill Cloathed, .nil cover their Faces with a Lipnen-cloath 
• with holes in it for their Eyes, and wear great Rings of Lattin in their Ears. 
Molt of thefe People have flocks of Camels, Sheep, and Goats, which they 
feed here and there, according as they find Grafs ; and where they find Pa- 
llure, they pitch their ugly Tents made of Goats-hair, in which their Wives 
and Children live ; but when that is eaten up, they pack up Bag and Ba 'gage, 
and loading their Camels with all they have, Houfe, Goods, Wives and Chil- 
dren, they go in fearch of Paflure fomewhere elfe. They live on Camels or 
Goats MilK, and on the flefh of Camels, with water for their Drink ; they 
alfo eat Cakes or Buns, among others they have the Mafrouca, which is a great Mufmcul 
regale to them; and indeed, they eat but feldom of that, I have feen them 
many times make it on our Journey to Mount Smai, where they had it daily, 
Morning and Evening at my coft, for I grudged them nothing. They mingle 
Flower with Water in a Wooden-Bowl, v/hich they carry always about with 
them, and knead it well into a Pafte, then they fpread it upon the Sand, ma- 
king it round, very thin, and a Foot and a half in Diamètre , after that 
they lay it upon the Sand where the Fire was made, covering it up with hot 
Embers; and live Coals over them, and when it is baked on one fide, they 
turn it upon the otlier : When it is well baked, they break it into fmall pieces, 
and with a little Water knead it again of new, adding thereto Butter, and 
fometiraes alfo Honey -, they make it into a thick Pafte, and then break it into 
great pieces, which they work and prefs betwixt their Fmgers, and fo feed 
on them with delight -, and they look like thofe Gobbets of Pafte that are 
given to Geefe to fatten them. Their Defarts are divided into Tribes, and 
the Tribes into Families, which pofll^fs different Quarters. Each Tribe hath 
^Scheik^el Kebir, or great Sck^^, and every Family hath its Scheif^, or Cap- •^''^"'^ 
tain. The Schsik^ el Kebir commands all the other Scheiks, and thefe Scheiks 
adminifter Juftice to the Arabs, having power over them of Life and Death, TheJffe/i^of 
9nd are pundually obeyed in what they Command, for they can Fine thofe in 
Money who are refraflory ; the Ofiices of Scheiks ar.e Hereditary, defcending 
from Father to Son, and when the Schetk of a Family dies without Children, 
all the Family affemble together^ and having fet forth the praifes of thofe 
whom they think worthy of the Charge, they chufe the moft vertuous, and 
entreat 
